Small steps to better listening
Small steps to
better listening
Matt Done
MATEFL AGM
22
nd
February 2023
“Teacher, I understand you very well… but out
there
I
don’t understand anything!”
Have you ever heard similar comments from students?
What would you say to a student if they said this to you?
The ‘comprehension’ approach to listening
Lead in
First listening (gist questions, checking simple details, etc.)
Second listening (comprehension questions, true or false,
multiple choice, etc.)
Language focus
Lead out
Logical, structured
Exposure
Can be a source of new
language
The audio itself – realistic?
No false starts or hesitation
Often clear and slow
No background noise
Speakers politely wait their turn
Usually non-participatory
Is essentially a test
Going beyond just
testing
learners’ listening
Trying to help learners deal with ‘real world’ listening
challenges
Objectives
1. Teach a lot of new language
Listening problems or
language
problems?
More language
learners understand more spoken English
(in theory)
When teaching new language,
give students an idea of
what it might sound like
The greenhouse, the garden, and the
jungle (Cauldwell, 2012)
Modelling the pronunciation of new language
3 times
–
each time slightly differently
The greenhouse
Every word is pronounced
clearly; there is no contact
with other words
I – just – did – it – out – of
– curiosity
The garden
Words come into
gentle contact with
other words
I jus
t
did it out of
curiosity
The jungle
Words are squashed together,
sounds are dropped, new
sounds are created
Ijusdidiouwa curiosity
Savour the difference
I – just – did – it – out – of – curiosity
Ijusdidiouwa curiosity
Greenhouse, garden, and jungle
Can help learners see how sounds and words change
when spoken quickly and naturally
Formulaic chunks
I’ve already
I’ve got to
I should have
Would you like
There’s a lot of
Do you want to
Modelling language 3 times
I’ve already done it
Would you like a drink?
I should have asked him
Modelling language 3 times
Vocal gymnastics
Taking a ‘botanical’ walk
Individual words have a variety of possible ‘sound shapes’
Teaching individual words
Soundshapes = ‘where’
But I wasn’t really sure WHERE
Depends WHERE you want to go
WHERE the Christmas tree was
Ying’s dilemma
“I believe I need to learn what the word sounds like when it is used in
the sentence. Because
sometimes when a familiar word is used in a
sentence, I couldn’t catch it. Maybe it changes somewhere when it is
used in a sentence”
(Goh 1997, p. 366).
A useful resource – youglish.com
Another resource
https://yohasebe.com/tcse/
Summary of ideas
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
la
3.
la
4.
la
5.
la
6.
la
2. Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
The police seem to know what’s going on, but they just turn a
blind eye to it.
•
Which word(s) is/are likely to be stressed?
•
Do any words ‘join together’?
•
Are any words weakened?
•
Are any sounds dropped?
•
Are any new sounds introduced between words?
A pronunciation/ connected speech focus is also
useful for
listening
The ‘word blender’
(Hancock and McDonald, n.d)
app
le zum
pear
s
= apples and pears
https://tinyurl.com/mr26ksb4
Summary of ideas
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
3.
Bl
4.
Ba
5.
la
6.
la
3. Let the listening be diagnostic too
Your student gets an answer in the listening test wrong.
What are some possible reasons for this?
Possible reasons
1.
Speech too quick and/or unclear for the learner
2.
Learner mistook a word for a similar sounding one (e.g., seminar /
cinema)
3.
Unknown vocabulary/language
4.
Confusing wording in the question
5.
Learner’s interpretation was different to the ‘official’ one
6.
Something else (e.g., not paying attention, etc.)
Possible reasons
1.
Speech too quick and/or unclear for the learner
2.
Learner mistook a word for a similar sounding one (e.g., seminar /
cinema)
3.
Unknown vocabulary
/language
4.
Confusing wording in the question
5.
Learner’s interpretation was different to the ‘official’ one
6.
Something else (e.g., not paying attention, etc.)
Reflecting on listening (based on Field,
2009, p.93)
Roughly how much of the listening did you understand:
The first time you listened? ____%
After listening a few times? ____%
When listening with the audio script? ____%
Using the audio script, write down some words/phrases that
you
know
that…
a)
You didn’t catch the first time you listened, but you caught after a few
listenings
b)
You only caught when you had the audio script
c)
You found it hard to catch even with the audio script
Now look at these words/phrases and try to think about why you had
problems recognising each one:
a)
The word/phrase wasn’t said in a ‘normal’ way
b)
The word/phrase wasn’t easy to hear
c)
I confused it with another word/phrase
d)
Another reason
Using the audio script, write down some
new words
you heard.
What did you do when you heard each one?
a)
I ignored it
b)
I tried to guess the meaning (how did you guess?)
c)
Something else
Using the audio script, write down any
grammatical structures
you
didn’t recognise. Why do you think you didn’t recognise each one?
a)
I misunderstood/didn’t hear important words
b)
I didn’t catch the inflections (e.g., –ed, -ing)
c)
I heard all the words but couldn’t ‘put them together’
d)
The grammar was new for me
e)
Another reason
Do you think your listening has improved after this practice? If yes,
how?
a)
Recognising words in speech
b)
Guessing meaning of new words
c)
Recognising grammar in speech
d)
Understanding meaning
e)
Other
Diagnostic listening
Gives both teacher and learner an insight into listening
issues
Can enable us to target specific problems
Summary of ideas
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
3.
Let the listening be diagnostic
4.
la
5.
la
6.
la
4. Do micro-dictations
Write what you hear:
I’ve honestly never seen
anything like it
About half an hour
Have you got any coins?
Yeah, just give me a second
What’s he on about?
I don’t know to be honest
Formulaic chunks
Suitable for ‘micro-dictations’
Can be pulled out of a listening text and replayed after the main activity
Can be focused on at the start/end of a lesson as revision
Can be played on a device or read out
Useful to focus on what happens when they’re said quickly
A window into the listener’s mind
(McDonald, 2020)
What was said vs what was heard
Gets on well
A lot smaller than
I only needed
I want to go
Get some well
Lots more than
I only need
I won’t go
McDonald (2020)
Dictations as remedial work
I want to go – I won’t go
I want to know
I won’t know
I won’t eat
I want to eat
I won’t sleep
I want to sleep
Summary of ideas
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
3.
Let the listening be diagnostic
4.
Do micro-dictations
5.
la
6.
la
5. Make listening more individual
Listening usually done as a whole class
However, learners work at different paces
Learners will encounter different challenges when dealing with a
listening text
Set listening homework (Field, 2009)
1.
You will hear two people having a conversation while waiting
for a bus.
•
What do you think the relationship is between the two?
•
What are they talking about?
Check your answers.
2. Listen again. In what order are the following mentioned?
•
The 13.30 bus to Reading
•
The recent bus strike
•
The 13.37 bus to Didcot
•
The bus timetable displayed at the bus stop
•
The information office
Check your answers. Replay any parts where your answers are
wrong
.
3. Listen to these sentences again and try to write the missing
words. Listen as many times as you need.
•
I’ve been waiting _____ _______!
•
_____ ________ _______, has the number 17 passed yet?
•
What time is the ______ ______ _______?
Check your answers. Replay any parts where you are wrong.
4.
Listen to the first 15 seconds (until the word ‘again’). Try to write
down exactly what you hear.
Check your answers.
5.
Which word(s) do you think best describe(s) the woman’s
feelings? And the man’s?
Frustrated / surprised / worried / calm / furious
6.
Listen to the audio again with the audio script. Listen to the
parts again that are difficult as many times as you need.
Bring any questions to class.
Summary of ideas
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
3.
Let the listening be diagnostic
4.
Do micro-dictations
5.
Make listening more individual with listening HW
6.
a
6. Teach repair strategies
(Dellar and Walkley, 2003)
Dealing with breakdowns in communication
Yesterday, I went to Marsamrun.
You went
where
?
Marsamrun. It’s a village in Malta close to Safi.
I went to Marsaxlokk yesterday.
You went where?
To Marsaxlokk. It’s a village in the south of Malta.
I ate pastizzi yesterday.
You ate what?
Pastizzi. They’re traditional Maltese pastries.
I met Joseph Calleja yesterday.
You met who?
Joseph Calleja. He’s a well-known Maltese opera singer.
Practice
Write similar questions in the gaps.
1. I really love padel.
……………………………?
Padel. It’s a sport, similar to tennis.
2. I met someone from East Timor yesterday.
……………………………….?
East Timor. It’s a small country in southern Asia.
Pronunciation
You went where?
You ate what?
You met who?
You love what?
You met someone from where?
Think of:
•
a (lesser-known) place in your country
•
a traditional dish or snack from your country
•
someone well-known in your country but not abroad
Student A and B
Have similar dialogues to the ones you saw before
A: I went to __________ yesterday.
B: You went where?
A: ________________. It’s a place in….
!!!
Appropriate for
all
situations/interlocutors?
Summary of ideas
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
3.
Let the listening be diagnostic
4.
Do micro-dictations
5.
Make listening more individual with listening HW
6.
Teach repair strategies
Concluding thoughts
Testing listening is important, but let’s also help our learners
develop
their listening skills
‘Listening more’ is fine, but perhaps we can take more direct
action
References
Cauldwell, R. (2012). Greenhouse, Garden, Jungle.
https://www.speechinaction.org/greenhouse-garden-jungle/
Dellar, H. and Walkley, A. (2003).
Innovations Upper-Intermediate. A Course in Natural
English.
Heinle ELT.
Field, J. (2009).
Listening in the Language Classroom
. Cambridge University Press.
Goh, C. (1997). Metacognitive awareness and second language listeners.
ELT Journal
51
(4), 361-369
Hancock, M., & McDonald, A. (n.d.). Hancock McDonald: English Language Teaching.
Retrieved February 8, 2023, from
http://hancockmcdonald.com/about-us
McDonald, A. (2020). Decoding: The nitty gritty of listening.
Modern English Teacher
29
,
(4), 76-78.
mattdone8@gmail.com
Reflection
What will you take away from this session?
Would you like to make any comments?
1.
Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3
2.
Integrate pronunciation into the lesson
3.
Let the listening be diagnostic
4.
Do micro-dictations
5.
Make listening more individual with listening HW
6.
Teach repair strategies
Enhance listening skills by differentiating between comprehension and language focus, using structured audio resources, and addressing real-world listening challenges. Explore strategies to improve language learning through clear pronunciation modeling and diverse linguistic contexts.
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Presentation Transcript
Small steps to better listening Matt Done MATEFL AGM 22ndFebruary 2023
Teacher, I understand you very well but out there I don t understand anything! Have you ever heard similar comments from students? What would you say to a student if they said this to you?
The comprehension approach to listening Lead in First listening (gist questions, checking simple details, etc.) Second listening (comprehension questions, true or false, multiple choice, etc.) Language focus Lead out
Logical, structured The audio itself realistic? Exposure No false starts or hesitation Can be a source of new Often clear and slow language No background noise Speakers politely wait their turn Usually non-participatory Is essentially a test
Objectives Going beyond just testing learners listening Trying to help learners deal with real world listening challenges
1. Teach a lot of new language Listening problems or language problems? More language learners understand more spoken English (in theory) When teaching new language, give students an idea of what it might sound like
The greenhouse, the garden, and the jungle (Cauldwell, 2012) Modelling the pronunciation of new language 3 times each time slightly differently
The greenhouse Every word is pronounced clearly; there is no contact with other words I just did it out of curiosity
The garden Words come into gentle contact with other words I just did it out of curiosity
The jungle Words are squashed together, sounds are dropped, new sounds are created Ijusdidiouwa curiosity
Savour the difference I just did it out of curiosity Ijusdidiouwa curiosity
Greenhouse, garden, and jungle Can help learners see how sounds and words change when spoken quickly and naturally
Formulaic chunks I ve already I ve got to I should have Would you like There s a lot of Do you want to
Modelling language 3 times I ve already done it Would you like a drink? I should have asked him
Modelling language 3 times Vocal gymnastics Taking a botanical walk
Teaching individual words Individual words have a variety of possible sound shapes
Soundshapes = where But I wasn t really sure WHERE Depends WHERE you want to go WHERE the Christmas tree was
Yings dilemma I believe I need to learn what the word sounds like when it is used in the sentence. Because sometimes when a familiar word is used in a sentence, I couldn t catch it. Maybe it changes somewhere when it is used in a sentence (Goh 1997, p. 366).
Another resource https://yohasebe.com/tcse/
Summary of ideas 1. Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3 2. la 3. la 4. la 5. la 6. la
2. Integrate pronunciation into the lesson The police seem to know what s going on, but they just turn a blind eye to it. Which word(s) is/are likely to be stressed? Do any words join together ? Are any words weakened? Are any sounds dropped? Are any new sounds introduced between words?
A pronunciation/ connected speech focus is also useful for listening
The word blender (Hancock and McDonald, n.d) apple zum pears = apples and pears
Summary of ideas 1. Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3 2. Integrate pronunciation into the lesson 3. Bl 4. Ba 5. la 6. la
3. Let the listening be diagnostic too Your student gets an answer in the listening test wrong. What are some possible reasons for this?
Possible reasons 1. Speech too quick and/or unclear for the learner 2. Learner mistook a word for a similar sounding one (e.g., seminar / cinema) 3. Unknown vocabulary/language 4. Confusing wording in the question 5. Learner s interpretation was different to the official one 6. Something else (e.g., not paying attention, etc.)
Possible reasons 1. Speech too quick and/or unclear for the learner 2. Learner mistook a word for a similar sounding one (e.g., seminar / cinema) 3. Unknown vocabulary/language 4. Confusing wording in the question 5. Learner s interpretation was different to the official one 6. Something else (e.g., not paying attention, etc.)
Reflecting on listening (based on Field, 2009, p.93) Roughly how much of the listening did you understand: The first time you listened? ____% After listening a few times? ____% When listening with the audio script? ____%
Using the audio script, write down some words/phrases that you know that a) You didn t catch the first time you listened, but you caught after a few listenings b) You only caught when you had the audio script c) You found it hard to catch even with the audio script
Now look at these words/phrases and try to think about why you had problems recognising each one: a) The word/phrase wasn t said in a normal way b) The word/phrase wasn t easy to hear c) I confused it with another word/phrase d) Another reason
Using the audio script, write down some new words you heard. What did you do when you heard each one? a) I ignored it b) I tried to guess the meaning (how did you guess?) c) Something else
Using the audio script, write down any grammatical structures you didn t recognise. Why do you think you didn t recognise each one? a) I misunderstood/didn t hear important words b) I didn t catch the inflections (e.g., ed, -ing) c) I heard all the words but couldn t put them together d) The grammar was new for me e) Another reason
Do you think your listening has improved after this practice? If yes, how? a) Recognising words in speech b) Guessing meaning of new words c) Recognising grammar in speech d) Understanding meaning e) Other
Diagnostic listening Gives both teacher and learner an insight into listening issues Can enable us to target specific problems
Summary of ideas 1. Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3 2. Integrate pronunciation into the lesson 3. Let the listening be diagnostic 4. la 5. la 6. la
4. Do micro-dictations Write what you hear: Yeah, just give me a second I ve honestly never seen anything like it About half an hour What s he on about? Have you got any coins? I don t know to be honest
Formulaic chunks Suitable for micro-dictations Can be pulled out of a listening text and replayed after the main activity Can be focused on at the start/end of a lesson as revision Can be played on a device or read out Useful to focus on what happens when they re said quickly
A window into the listeners mind (McDonald, 2020)
What was said vs what was heard Gets on well Get some well A lot smaller than Lots more than I only needed I only need I want to go I won t go McDonald (2020)
Dictations as remedial work I want to go I won t go I want to know I won t know I won t eat I want to eat I won t sleep I want to sleep
Summary of ideas 1. Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3 2. Integrate pronunciation into the lesson 3. Let the listening be diagnostic 4. Do micro-dictations 5. la 6. la
5. Make listening more individual Listening usually done as a whole class However, learners work at different paces Learners will encounter different challenges when dealing with a listening text
Set listening homework (Field, 2009) 1. You will hear two people having a conversation while waiting for a bus. What do you think the relationship is between the two? What are they talking about? Check your answers.
2. Listen again. In what order are the following mentioned? The 13.30 bus to Reading The recent bus strike The 13.37 bus to Didcot The bus timetable displayed at the bus stop The information office Check your answers. Replay any parts where your answers are wrong.
3. Listen to these sentences again and try to write the missing words. Listen as many times as you need. I ve been waiting _____ _______! _____ ________ _______, has the number 17 passed yet? What time is the ______ ______ _______? Check your answers. Replay any parts where you are wrong.
4. Listen to the first 15 seconds (until the word again). Try to write down exactly what you hear. Check your answers. 5. Which word(s) do you think best describe(s) the woman s feelings? And the man s? Frustrated / surprised / worried / calm / furious
6. Listen to the audio again with the audio script. Listen to the parts again that are difficult as many times as you need. Bring any questions to class.
Summary of ideas 1. Teach new language and model its pronunciation x3 2. Integrate pronunciation into the lesson 3. Let the listening be diagnostic 4. Do micro-dictations 5. Make listening more individual with listening HW 6. a
